August 1, 2006 New York -- Verizon today released data to support its claim that the popularity of its ultra-fast, all-fiber-optic FiOS Internet service continues to climb. In the second quarter, FiOS Internet customers made up more than 25% of the 440,000 net new wireline broadband sales for Verizon, say company representatives.
On average, Verizon has won 12% of potential FiOS Internet customers within just nine months of entering a new market with its fiber-optic network. Verizon reports that 375,000 customers now use its FiOS Internet service to connect to the Internet or other data networks at speeds of up to 50 Mbits/sec, 10 times faster than typical cable offers.
The second-quarter report notes that Verizon gained 111,000 FiOS Internet customers in the second quarter alone. The company's new fiber-optic network currently extends to 4.5 million homes and small businesses in 16 states. More than 3 million homes are now "open for sale" for FiOS Internet.
"FiOS sales are gaining momentum as hundreds of thousands of people discover the real difference that a fiber delivered directly into their homes and businesses provides," contends John Wimsatt, senior vice president of Verizon's Broadband Solutions Group. "The tremendous capacity and bandwidth our FiOS Internet customers enjoy makes applications like photo and video sharing, blogging, digital movie downloads, video chat and conferencing, and interactive multi-player games a part of everyday living."
With FiOS, Verizon offers a range of download and upload speeds delivered over a fiber-optic network directly into customers' homes. FiOS download connection speeds range from 5 Mbits/sec to 50 Mbits/sec, while FiOS upload speeds range from 2 Mbits/sec toI10 Mbits/sec, representing the fastest upstream speeds available to consumers from any U.S. Internet service provider, says the carrier.
As the Internet becomes increasingly interactive, broadband users expect higher performance, not only in downloading content, but in uploading it as well. The Pew Internet & American Life Project recently reported that more than 43 million Americans have created a blog or Web page for themselves or for others, or have shared something online that they created themselves, such as artwork, photos and videos, or both. The study reported, "There is a significant statistical association between creating online content and having a home broadband connection."
"The proliferation of personal digital photography and videos, blogs, and personal Web sites is a significant driver of broadband growth," adds Wimsatt. "The ability to quickly upload content, such as digital photos and videos and large personal text files, is now just as important to customers as fast downloads. Having a high download speed without a high upload speed is the equivalent to having a conversation where you can only listen and not talk. With our groundbreaking download and upload speeds, FiOS customers enjoy a rich, two-way broadband experience that's unparalleled by any other service today," he maintains.
Verizon's fiber-optic network not only Internet service, but also offers customers in many markets a competitive choice of television service with FiOS TV, offering more than 180 all-digital channels, two dozen HDTV channels, and up to 2,500 video-on-demand titles.